A new program to help injured veterans and first responders is taking flight.

DARCARS Automotive Group and DARCARS Toyota announced the launch of the DARCARS Heroes Home for the Holidays campaign, in partnership with Luke’s Wings, to help reunite wounded service members, veterans and first responders with their families during the holiday season.

Luke’s Wings, founded in 2008, provides free flights for wounded, ill and injured service members and their families throughout their recovery and rehabilitation, helping ease the financial burden of travel for people who have served their country and communities.

This year, DARCARS has pledged to cover the cost of 500 flights, with some specifically dedicated for service members and families in the D.C.-Maryland-Virginia region and the tristate area of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut.

DARCARS operates 33 dealership locations in those regions and Florida.

“We are grateful for the incredible sacrifices made by men and women in uniform and are proud to have so many veterans and active service members currently on the DARCARS team,” DARCARS Automotive’s Jamie Darvish said. “Our Heroes Home for the Holidays campaign expresses our gratitude to those who have served and continue to serve.

“Luke’s Wings is an incredible organization making a real difference in the lives of those who have served and their families, and we are proud to partner with them on this campaign.”

The campaign will run through the end of 2024. DARCARS encouraged interested service members and their families to visit the Luke’s Wings website for more information about eligibility and participation in the program, and urged its customers and community members to consider donating directly to Luke’s Wings.

“Since our founding, Luke’s Wings has provided almost 18,000 tickets on commercial airlines for hero families across the country,” Luke’s Wings founder and CEO Fletcher Gill said. “It is because of our dedicated partners like DARCARS that we can continue to fulfill our mission and make sure no hero is alone for the holidays.”

Alabama dealership caps its Season of Giving

Howard Bentley Buick GMC’s annual Season of Giving is concluding with a holiday-themed Remember in December initiative to make local children’s Christmas wishes come true.

The Season of Giving is a four-month campaign in which a portion of every vehicle sale by the Albertville, Ala., dealership from September through the end of the year is contributed to local community causes.

This year, the dealership said it has generated more than $40,000 in donations to organizations throughout Marshall County and Northeastern Alabama.

For Remember in December, Howard Bentley is joining the Marshall County Christmas Coalition to fulfill the wish lists of 50 children with $15,000 worth of gifts. He assistance program unites government entities, schools, businesses, churches and other community supporters.

“Howard Bentley’s Season of Giving was inspired from our core value of giving back to the communities we serve, while keeping us grounded on what the holidays truly mean,” said Taylor Bentley Conner, third-generation dealer principal of the family-owned and operated business. “While we Remember in December, it’s part of a bigger effort where we select four local nonprofits and pair with a theme for each month from September through December.

“It is so rewarding for us all as our employees get involved by providing their selection of charities for causes close to their hearts. Additionally, our loyal customers are part of supporting these worthy causes.”

During the Season of Giving, Howard Bentley Buick GMC presented the Albertville Chamber of Commerce 2024 Thanksgiving and Christmas Parade and held its traditional Santa Picture Night, with professional photos and children’s activities.

The 2024 Season of Giving programs also included:

Second Chance September, in which Howard Bentley raised $7,500 for the Second Chance Shelter, a non-profit, no-kill animal shelter, saving pets from being euthanized and giving them a temporary home until they’re adopted.

Booktober in October, during which $10,000 was raised for the Albertville City Schools Foundation and the Dolly Parton Imagination Library as part of a partnership between Albertville City Schools and Howard Bentley Buick GMC to provide high-quality books to children from birth to age 5.

Give Back for Black Friday in November, which raised $7,850 for CAJA of Marshall County, an organization of volunteers that advocates for abused and neglected children in Marshall County’s court. The funds will help ensure a court-appointed special advocate independently investigates the children’s cases.

In a news release, the dealership said it has donated more than $200,000 to 100-plus local schools, community needs, local nonprofits and charities in 2024.

Lithia sells California dealership to Mass Auto Group

Lithia & Driveway divested a dealership property, selling Carson Nissan in Carson, Calif., to David Massoudi of Mass Auto Group, according to Performance Brokerage Services, which represented the seller in the transaction.

The acquisition is the second this year by Mass Auto, which now operates six dealerships in Southern California.

Lithia & Driveway, one of the nation’s largest dealership groups with more than 340 locations in the U.S., Canada and the U.K., expanded aggressively in the first half of 2024 with acquisitions in all three nations, but closes the year with a sale.